Cullen Rutherford
} |name = Cullen Rutherford |image = CullenPortrait412.jpg|Origins Cullen03.jpg|Dragon Age II Cullen Profile 2a.png|Inquisition |px = 270px |title = Templar (formerly) Knight-Captain of Kirkwall (As of 9:31 Dragon) Knight-Commander of Kirkwall (As of 9:37 Dragon, conditional ) Commander of the Inquisition (As of 9:41 Dragon) |class = Warrior |affiliation = Templar Order (formerly) Inquisition |specialization = Templar |gender = Male |race = Human |quests = Perseverance Before the Dawn Happier Times |family = Branson (brother) Mia (sister)Codex entry: Cullen Rosalie (sister) Unnamed son of Branson (nephew)Conversation between the Inquisitor and Cullen at the Winter Palace during Trespasser The Inquisitor (wife) (conditional) |voice = Greg Ellis |appearances = Dragon Age: Origins The Darkspawn Chronicles Dragon Age II Heroes of Dragon Age Dragon Age: Inquisition }} Cullen Stanton Rutherford (born in approximately 9:11 DragonCullen was approximately 19 when the Fifth Blight began in 9:30. He is "roughly thirty" in 9:41. ) is a Fereldan templar. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, Cullen acts as the Inquisitor's military adviser, and is a potential romance option for female Human and Elf Inquisitors. Background Born in the Fereldan village of Honnleath, Cullen was the second eldest child of four. Mia was his elder sister, his brother Branson was younger, and his sister Rosalie was the youngest of them all. He was eight years old when he told his brother and sisters that he would become a Templar. Though his siblings took the proclamation playfully, Cullen's intentions did not waver. He started visiting the local chantry in Honnleath, asking the templars there to teach him anything they could. Honnleath had only a few templars, but they humored the boy and taught him basic sword techniques. From a young age, Cullen had a strong desire to enter a profession that helped people, and he refused to be swayed from the path he had chosen. Despite his siblings' initial teasing, Mia became Cullen's greatest supporter, insisting that the others help Cullen train. When he was thirteen years old, a visiting knight-captain took notice of Cullen's hard work and offered him the chance of formal training. His parents agreed to the request, as the Templar Order was known to be a respectable and honorable profession, and they wanted to give their son the opportunity to have a life that would make him happy. As most Templar recruits were taken in at a young age, Cullen, at the age of thirteen, was considerably older than the other recruits and less prepared than some. But any concerns of him falling behind his peers were quickly dispelled. Finding that the training was everything that he had imagined it would be, Cullen quickly caught up to the other recruits, matching them in their expertise. When the time came to take his final vows at the age of eighteen, Cullen was eager to pledge his life in service to the Maker and take the lyrium that would bind him to the Order. He finally achieved his childhood dream to become a Templar when he was assigned to the Circle Tower at Kinloch Hold, under Knight-Commander Greagoir. When the Blight came over the land, Cullen's family was forced to flee to South Reach. His mother and father did not survive. Involvement Dragon Age: Origins ''Witch Hunt'' ''The Darkspawn Chronicles'' Dragon Age II Dragon Age: Inquisition Cullen will inform the Inquisitor that the Red Templars are being led by General Samson, a man he has personal history with. If the Inquisitor follows Cullen's advice to investigate Samson, the Inquisition will raid a quarry full of the Red Templars' red lyrium supplies and Cullen will personally aid in the raid over the Shrine of Dumat- Samson's headquarters. Cullen will be present when Samson is brought before the Inquisitor to be judged. Cullen later struggles with lyrium withdrawal. He first reveals that he has an agreement with Cassandra to remove him from duty should he prove a liability, and he can later be found arguing with Cassandra to choose a replacement for him because he is doubting his ability to command. The Inquisitor then has the option to either encourage him to fight his addiction or to go back on lyrium. }} Trespasser Cullen and the Inquisitor retire to private life together (with Cullen's new Mabari) in Ferelden. They "continued doing good works on their own terms" and visit Cullen's family. * Cullen retires from active service. Divine Victoria grants him land and he establishes a sanctuary/rehab for former Templars. He promises to pick up the sword if his friends ever need him. * Later on, Scout Harding finds him living as a beggar on the streets of Val Chevin. He is in the last stages of Lyrium madness. It is suggested that she ended his suffering, either by giving him coin to get more Lyrium or by providing him a quick death. If the Inquisition Continues * Cullen and the Inquisitor continue to guide the Inquistion.They "continued doing good works on their own terms" and visit Cullen's family. * Cullen continued to serve as commander. He also established means for taking care of Templars who want to quit Lyrium or have lost their minds. * Cullen abruptly retires from the Inquisition and disappears. Cullen loses his mind to Lyrium and becomes a beggar on the streets. He is found by Scout Harding and is either given coin or a quick death.}} Romance Cullen is a potential romance option for a female Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, although only for humans or elves. He is also one of the few romance options whose romance can be initiated before the completion of his personal quest. His romance can be initiated shortly after the Inquisitor arrives at Skyhold, but he can be flirted with while at Haven. Provided one is playing as a female human or elf, a short conversation with Cullen in the courtyard can be had as he is attempting to marshal his troops, during which he pledges to the Inquisitor that he will never allow another crippling defeat such as Haven to occur again. Later, the female Inquisitor can initiate a romance with Cullen by asking if he has "time to talk". They take a stroll out onto the battlements, during which the Inquisitor confesses her feelings towards him. Provided that the Inquisitor fits Cullen's specifications (female and human/elf), the feelings are mutual and they share their first kiss. Cullen says later that he'd been wanting to kiss the Inquisitor "longer than he should admit". Throughout the rest of the game, the Inquisitor will have several cutscenes and unique conversations with Cullen if the romance option was selected. If you are romancing him during Perseverance or after the quest, Cullen will call it off or refuse to enter a relationship if you told him to go back onto lyrium. In a discussion about the sacrifices required in a Templar lifestyle, he justifies the breakup by saying, "I wasn't the same after Ferelden. I tried putting that behind me and clearly I don't know how. Until that's possible, I shouldn't be with anyone." You can still romance him, however, if you tell him you'll find a better way later for him to break his addiction. After a mage Inquisitor encourages Cullen to continue to refuse lyrium, he can express regret for his attitudes in the previous game and state that, "The way that I saw mages...I'm not sure I would have cared about you. And the thought of that sickens me." If a mage Inquisitor encouraged Cullen to go back onto lyrium, he will be much more prickly to the mage Inquisitor when asked if he would choose her over his duty in the event he'd have to slay her should she be corrupted- insinuating he would put his duty as a templar over his feelings for the Inquisitor. Later on, Cullen will ask the Inquisitor if she'd like to accompany him while dealing with some business in Ferelden, accepting will take you to a lake. Cullen will tell you that he used to come here as a child to get away from his siblings and the last time he was here was the day he left for Templar training, saying that his brother gave him a coin, saying it was lucky, which he has kept. He will then ask the Inquisitor to indulge him and give the coin to them. The Inquisitor may either accept the gift or ask him to keep it. Neither option will affect the romance. As with all other romanceable characters, if the Inquisitor romances Cullen, two Orlesian nobles in the throne room will comment on the romance at each progression. Quests Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age II Dragon Age: Inquisition Quotes Dragon Age: Origins ]] * "Maker turn his gaze on you. I hope your compassion hasn't doomed us all." ''Dragon Age II * (To Hawke, Enemies Among Us, Act I) "I was at the Circle Tower in Ferelden during the Blight. I saw firsthand how templars' trust and leniency can be rewarded. I still have nightmares of Uldred's depravities." * (To Hawke, Enemies Among Us, Act I) "Mages cannot be treated like people. They are not like you and me. They are weapons. They have the power to light a city on fire in a fit of pique." * (To Hawke, Enemies Among Us, Act I) "There is a vigil before templars take their arms, but the gravest danger they face is falling asleep." * (To Hawke, Act I) "The image of the poor, chained apprentice is a powerful one. And one the mages are more than willing to exploit." Dragon Age: Inquisition * "Kirkwall's Circle fell. Innocent people died in the streets. Can't you see why I want nothing to do with that life?" * "Inquisition! With the Herald! For your lives! For all of us!" * "Once your sacrifices are made, is there no end? Are you leashed until the day you die, or lyrium takes your mind away?" * (Informal reports) Creating Inquisition footholds outside Skyhold has strengthened our reputation. People view us as a stabilizing force. We've received a number of recruits eager to pledge themselves to our cause. }} Trivia * Cullen was written by Sheryl Chee in Origins , Jennifer Hepler in Dragon Age: II , and Brianne Battye in Dragon Age: Inquisition.The Sound and the Fury: What we listened to while writing Dragon Age: Inquisition * Originally, Cullen wasn't a romance option for Dragon Age: Inquisition, but according to Mike Laidlaw, BioWare changed his role as a love interest when they extended the game's development by a year. * If the imported Origins story featured a Human Mage Warden, Cullen will refer to them in the beginning of Dragon Age II Act 2, e.g. "I knew an Amell once. She was a special woman. Never met her like again." in the case of a female Warden and "There was an Amell in the Ferelden Circle, he left before Uldred attacked and came back to save us all." in the case of a male Warden. * If the imported Origins save is a female Mage Warden, his Dragon Age II Codex makes a reference to his feelings for the Warden while they were at the Circle Tower. If Leliana romanced a female Mage Warden in Origins and Cullen is not being romanced by the Inquisitor, he will try to ask Leliana about the Warden during War Table banter. * Cullen shared quarters with Samson when he was transferred to Kirkwall. He thought Samson was a "decent man" at the time. * If Hawke sided with the Templars during the Kirkwall Rebellion, Cullen was promoted to Knight-Commander of Kirkwall. Otherwise, he remained Knight-Captain, even though he was the de facto commander in Kirkwall. However, at the Winter Palace during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, the herald will announce Cullen as "former Knight-Commander of Kirkwall", regardless of his actual title. * Cullen enjoys a chess-like game, and often played against his sister as a child. * One of the banters between Cullen and Josephine at the War Table includes Cullen musing that he should "calibrate" the trebuchets, to which Josephine groaningly replies, "Again? How many times will you be doing that?" This is likely a reference to Garrus Vakarian, a character from Bioware's Mass Effect series, who spends arguably too much time calibrating the guns on the Normandy. * Cullen's lion helmet was only featured in the Enemy of Thedas trailer in order to cover an animation glitch with Cullen's mouth.Making Dragon Age - from PAX South, January 2015 It is not featured in-game, but is included in his character kit. * Cullen is mentioned a few times by the characters in the multiplayer mode of Inquisition. The Alchemist observes that he "smells like elderflower and oakmoss."Party banter spreadsheet * According to war table banter, Cullen styles his hair, although he denies such claims. Bugs *In Inquisition, an Inquisition agent in Cullen's office in Skyhold will tell the Inquisitor that Cullen has gone to speak with Cassandra. However, if the Inquisitor has completed Sera's unmarked "prank" quest prior to this conversation, the Inquisitor might not be able to interact with this agent. This will render it impossible to find Cullen (which is otherwise accomplished by clicking on Cassandra), and he will never return to his office. Any further interaction with him becomes impossible, as does the completion of his questline (Supposedly fixed with Patch 6, though there are still reports of the bug occurring after the patch). Gallery Cullen's Prison.jpg|Cullen's prison BSC 1.jpg|With Samson Cullen with lion helm.jpg|Cullen in his full armor Cullen Rutherford.png|Cullen from Dragon Age: Inquisition New Cullen.jpeg|Cullen from Dragon Age: Inquisition Cullen.PNG|Cullen's romance tile in DA Keep HoDA Cullen.jpg|Tier progression Knight-Captain Cullen in Heroes of Dragon Age HoDA Advisor Cullen.jpg|Tier progression Advisor Cullen in Heroes of Dragon Age cullenlyrium.jpg|Cullen struggles with lyrium Cullen_lion_helmet.png|Cullen in his full lion helmet Codex entries References pl:Cullen Rutherford fr:Cullen Category:Characters Category:Dragon Age: Origins characters Category:Dragon Age II characters Category:Dragon Age: Inquisition characters Category:Humans Category:Fereldans Category:Templars Category:Warriors Category:Love interests Category:Inquisition members Category:Heroes of Dragon Age characters